You'll Be Safe In These Arms of Mine
by once-a-glee-lover
Summary: He knew proper protocol was to get her turned into social services, but he just couldn't right now. This little girl needed help, and it would take social services hours to get here from Boston. He would wait until morning.


So I received a story request some time ago from _Lovatic-once-upon-a-time_ that I'm going to give a try. This might be triggering to some as there are mentions of abuse, so if that's not something you feel comfortable reading,then maybe skip those parts, although I tried to keep the mentions to a minimum. Also, if any one else has a request, please let me know. As always, please leave a review if you can :)

Disclaimer: The idea comes from _Lovatic-once-upon-a-time._ Once Upon A Time is copyrighted by ABC. The title of the song is from the song Run to You by Lea Michele.

 _You'll Be Safe In These Arms of Mine_

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" David sighed as he heard his wife's worried voice on the other end of the line. "I mean its freezing outside already and the snow is supposed to start any time now."

"Mary Margaret, I'm fine. I promise." He assured her as he reached his car parked outside the Storybrooke Sheriff's Station. "I'm just going to do a quick patrol of the town and then I will be right home. You don't have to worry."

"Ok, but call me before you head home." She said. "Just so I know you're alive, please."

He laughed lightly into the line. "I swear on my life."

"Don't try to be funny, David. You know I get nervous when the weather gets like this."

"Okay okay, I'm going to hang up now. I just got to the car. I love you." He said. He heard her sigh before she agreed to let him go, saying goodbye in her gentle voice.

David drove around town for close to an hour before deciding it was time to head for home. The snow had started falling and he knew Mary would likely start to panic if he didn't get home soon. Just as he was about to turn off the main street in town, he noticed a tiny figure knock over a garbage can before darting behind two buildings. Confused as to why what he assumed to be a child was doing out at a time like this, he parked the car in front of the bakery and followed, cautiously, to where the figure had disappeared to.

Sure enough, when he turned the corner, he saw a little girl huddled under a couple of boxes, holding her hands over a tiny flame she had somehow managed to make on the cement path. He had never known Storybrooke to have any homeless children running around, and he was sure he had never seen her before. He approached her carefully, not wanting to scare her.

"Hi, are you okay?" He asked in a gentle voice. The little girl jumped at the sound of this stranger's voice, a strange _man's_ voice. David's eyes widened when he saw the scared look on the child's face. "Don't worry, I mean you know harm." He tried to assure her, holding his hands up.

The little girl moved a little further away from the flame, further towards the boxes which were serving as her shelter. She looked terrified.

"What are you doing out here alone?" He asked again. "Don't you have parents?"

The girl shrugged in response, not offering any other information.

"How old are you? What's your name?" He questioned, but there was nothing said. She only seemed to look more afraid of him. Figuring she was just distrusting of strangers, David knew he had to help her. She would freeze to death if she stayed out in this cold tonight, especially given that she was only wearing a hooded sweater and light jean jacket.

"Will you come with me?" He asked. She shook her head in response, at least he knew she could understand him. "Please? I'm just going to take you home for the night. I'm a police officer, I won't hurt you. I just can't let you stay out here, its far to dangerous and much too cold. My wife is there, she will help you get warm and maybe get some food. We have a spare room you can stay in."

He knew proper protocol was to get her turned into social services, but he just couldn't right now. This little girl needed help, and it would take social services hours to get here from Boston. He would wait until morning.

"I promise nothing will happen to you." He assured her again, he tried to touch her arm in reassurance, but she shrank back away from him. Whatever had happened to this child to make her this scared of adults, must have been awful. "Please." He pleaded with her one last time.

The little girl looked at the man in front of her, trying to read him. She could tell he wasn't lying to her because of what she called her "superpower". She still didn't trust him, but she also knew that if she stayed out here tonight, she might not live to see the morning. It was getting brutally cold now.

She slowly nodded her head and got a grateful smile in response. He lead her over to his car and opened the door for her. She quickly got in, never having been in a police car before. She looked at all the buttons and was so tempted to press one, but thought better of it. So far this man had been nothing but nice to her, she didn't want to make him angry. She knew what happened when you made a man angry.

David drove the five minute drive to the loft he shared with Mary in complete silence. He kept glancing over at the tiny girl, but she just kept her head down towards her lap. He noticed she kept a small bag with her, all the possessions she owned, he guessed. He could see what looked to be a thick white baby's blanket poking out of the bag, with purple ribbon along the trim.

"That's a pretty blanket." He said to her.

The little girl just stared at him and nodded, offering no comment.

They arrived back at his home and the child followed a good five feet behind him at all times. He could tell she was ready to make a run for it should the need arise. He quickly opened the door, Mary came rushing over noticing he was covered in snow. Brushing him off and giving him a quick kiss, she noticed the little girl standing behind him.

"David, who's this?" She asked as he pulled away from her.

David turned and gave the girl another reassuring smile before addressing his wife. "I found her when I was doing my patrol. She was sitting outside in the alleyway between the bakery and Marco's shop. She was trying to keep warm over a tiny fire."

"What?" Mary asked in shock, not quite believing a child so young was out on her own. She bent down to the child's level, the teacher inside of her knowing exactly how to handle a child this age. "Sweetie, are you okay?"

"Mary, she won't talk. She hasn't said a word to me since I found her." David explained.

Mary gave the girl a sympathetic smile before standing and ushering her into their loft. She could feel the little girl shiver as she had her hand placed lightly on her back. "You must be cold?" Mary asked the small girl, she couldn't be more than 8 or 9 at the most.

The girl shook her head. She was cold, but this was nothing new to her. Mary gave David a concerned look over the girl's head. David just shook his head, not knowing what to do in this situation.

"Sweetie, would you like to take a bath?" Mary asked. "It would warm you up. Then maybe we can find you some dry clothes to wear." She suggested.

Emma thought about it for a few moments. She liked this woman, she didn't know why, but she trusted her even without really knowing her. She reminded Emma of her first mother, the one who almost adopted her when she was little. She had been kind and loving too. She didn't know what to make of the man, but she was keeping her guard up for now. Eventually she let out a small nod, a bath would be nice.

Mary smiled at her almost gratefully. Maybe after her bath she would be calm enough to talk. "Okay, come with me and we will get you a towel and I'll show you to the room you can stay in tonight." She held out her hand as the girl took it hesitantly. Mary gave David a wink, and David had never been more grateful for his wife and her gift with children.

Mary showed the girl the spare room, which was the only room upstairs in the loft. It had a large queen size bed, a set of drawers and even a small vanity in the corner. Emma liked it immediately. It felt warm and cozy, something almost unfamiliar to her. Mary walked over to the small closet in the far corner and pulled out a large towel.

"This should do." She said as she turned back to Emma, who was staring at her nervously. Mary had to fight back a tear at how timid this child seemed. She had never seen a quieter girl in her life.

"Honey, you can put your bag down on the bed." She said. "I promise it will be safe."

The little girl nodded and set the bag down, pulling out her blanket and laying it out flat. Mary smiled at the sight of the blanket. It was clearly well loved and looked after. She noticed something written in thread in one corner.

"Is Emma your name?" She asked.

The little girl nodded shyly.

"Well Emma, that's a beautiful name." Mary said. And it really was to her. She kept thinking how thats the exact name she would give a daughter of her own in another life. "Do you have a last name?"

Emma looked away from Mary's gaze before mumbling "Swan" in a quiet voice.

"Emma Swan." Mary smiled a little at the name. It sounded like a fairytale name. It somehow perfectly suited this little girl.

"Okay, Emma. How would you like a bath now?"

Emma nodded, trying not to seem to eager. A bath sounded amazing to her right now.

"What's wrong?" Mary asked when she noticed Emma's eyes darting around anxiously.

"I don't have anything to change into." Emma said sadly. She hadn't brought any extra clothes besides underwear. Her bag was too small.

Mary smiled at her calmly, she had suspected as much. A girl Emma's age never really thought that far ahead. "It's okay, sweetie. I'm sure I have a shirt you can borrow."

Emma took the towel Mary handed her and gave the women a grateful look. Mary placed her hand on the girl's shoulder and turned her towards the stairs. "The bathroom is downstairs." She pointed.

Emma followed the woman, looking around the loft as she walked. It wasn't large by any means, but it suited her just fine. She couldn't remember ever feeling this comfortable in someone's home before. It was like she knew these people wouldn't hurt her.

"Emma, would you like something to play with in the bath? I'm sure I've got some kind of toy around here. David is like a big kid."

Emma shook her head. "No thank you Mam."

Mary laughed. "Honey, you can just call me Mary. Mam makes me sound old."

Emma gave a nervous laugh, but agreed nonetheless. Mary got her situated in the large tub, filling it with water and even bubbles. Emma slowly relaxed and let her mind wander in the tub as Mary went back out to find David.

"How's she doing?" David asked from his spot on the couch facing the television.

Mary shrugged. "Well, I got her to talk. She's still very timid, as if she's afraid we will kick her out the minute she does something wrong."

"What's her name?" David asked, curious to know the identity of the child he had brought into their lives.

"Emma." Mary said with a smile. "Emma Swan."

David gave his wife a sad smile. "I know how much you love that name." He sighed thinking of their many conversations on that very topic. They had tried for years to conceive, but to no avail. Emma had been the name Mary had latched onto if they ever had a girl.

"I just can't help thinking, she's so young to be on her own. Whoever was looking after her obviously wasn't doing their job or was doing a horrible job at it." Mary said sitting down next to him, talking quietly so Emma wouldn't overhear.

"I know. Who lets a child that young wander off on her own? She can't be more than 9 years old." David said with a shake of his head. "I've been searching the database to find any missing children reported that are her age, and no one fits her description."

"Well we can't send her back tonight." Mary stated firmly.

"No, tonight she is staying here for sure." David readily agreed. "Tomorrow, I'll put a call in to social services. I might have to take her to Boston though."

"NO!" The two adults heard a scream, and both turned to see Emma standing there with her towel wrapped around her.

"Emma, why didn't you call me?" Mary asked, rushing over to the young girl.

"I can take care of myself, I've been doing it for years." Emma replied, staring straight at David, as if to assert herself.

"But honey, I was going to find you something to wear." Mary reminded her gently.

Emma shook her head. "I can wear what I had on. I'll just go."

At that point, David stood up and walked over to the young girl and his wife.

"Emma, you can't leave here tonight. Its much too cold out and its storming." He explained as he bent down to her level.

"Well I'm not going back to social services." She said adamantly, sounding far older than she actually was. "I ran away from there for a reason."

"Want to tell us the reason?" David asked.

Emma shook her head. "Id' rather not."

"Emma, we can't help you unless you tell us." Mary said. "Why did you run away?"

Emma looked back and fourth between them, trying to decide if she should tell. "It was a bad home. And its not the first one I've been in."

"What do you mean a bad home? Did someone hurt you?" Mary questioned.

Emma looked to the ground, not giving an answer. That action was enough for both Mary and David to assume that their assumptions were correct.

Mary gathered the little girl into her arms as she started to tear up. No child should have to be in a situation like this. Every child deserved to be loved and protected. Emma relaxed in her arms, and even rested her head on the woman's shoulder. Mary smiled through tear filled eyes, glad she was able to give the child some sort of comfort.

David couldn't help but notice how sweet Mary and Emma looked together. They were so comfortable around each other already and it had only been an hour. They even kind of looked similar now that he thought about it. Emma's eye colour was the exact shade of green as his wife's. With her blonde hair similar to his own, she could almost pass for their child.

"Emma, for tonight, you are going to stay right here." David told her once she had pulled away. "Tomorrow, we will figure out something, but if what you say is true, there's no way you are going back to the home you were in."

Emma gave a solemn nod, still leaning against Mary.

"Are you hungry now?" Mary asked. "I can make you something."

Emma thought for a minute. "Do you know how to make grilled cheese? Its my favourite."

Mary laughed lightly. "Do I know how to make grilled cheese? I only make the best grilled cheese in all of Storybrooke, next to Granny's of course. At least that's what David says."

David nodded. "It's true, she does. With real cheese and everything, none of that processed stuff."

Emma lit up. "Really?"

Mary beamed as she once again gathered the girl into her arms. "Try it and see."

Half an hour later, Emma had been fed and given water. She was now lying in bed, the most comfortable bed she could ever remember lying in. This was the most relaxed she could remember being since she was first put back into the system at all of 3 years of age.

Mary and David sat on the edge of the bed, tucking the small girl in. "Emma, would you like us to read you a story?"

Emma nodded shyly. "Yes please." She couldn't ever remember having a story read to her by an adult. She always had to read them by herself. When she was little, she would try and get some of the bigger kids in the group homes to read to her, but they always acted like she was a burden to them.

Mary pulled out a large leather bound book from behind her back, grinning at the little girl. She sat back against the headboard next to Emma, motioning for David to do the same. David followed suit, those his movements were much more careful than his wife's. He got the feeling Emma still wasn't entirely sure of him yet.

They read through the list of stories and Emma immediately chose the one about Snow White claiming that Snow White had always been her favourite Disney Princess. Mary readily agreed as she began to read. They read all about this new version of the classic princess in which Snow actually meets Charming from robbing him and hitting him in the face. Emma giggled when she read that part. Mary let David read the parts about Charming while she read Snow's. By the time they got to the end, Emma was falling asleep, but not before pointing out something in one of the pictures.

"Look, the baby has my name!" Emma exclaimed.

Mary and David both laughed at that fact. It was strangely coincidental. "Why yes she does." David said.

"Its a beautiful name for a little princess." Mary added. "But its time for all princesses named Emma to go to sleep."

"'M not sleepy." Emma mumbled, though her eyes were shutting by this point.

Mary shook her head as she eyed David with a smirk. The little girl's eye lashes were fluttering, fighting the sleep she so desperately needed.

"She's a stubborn one." David said. Despite the fact that they had just met her hours before, it felt like they had known her much longer. David reached out and took Mary's hand, leading her out from the room.

"What do you think?" David asked.

Mary sighed as she sat on the couch next to her husband once again. "She's so sweet. I don't know how anyone could harm her physically or otherwise. I don't know how anyone could harm any child."

"I can't believe there are no missing children's reports on her. How does social services let someone like Emma fall through the cracks?" David asks rhetorically.

"I don't know, but I have half a mind to phone and give them a piece of my mind. There's no way she's going back to the home she was in. I know she hasn't told us exactly what happened yet, but it was bad enough that she felt she had to run away."

David nodded. "Tomorrow first thing, I'm calling social services in Boston and we are figuring this out once and for all. This little girl needs stability and a good home if she stands a chance."

It was then that Mary started formulating an idea in her mind. David could tell by the look on his wife's face that she was up to something. "What is it?" He asked.

"I'm just thinking..." She paused. "What if we were to take her in?"

David's eyes nearly bulged out. "You aren't suggesting we become foster parents?"

"That's exactly what I'm suggesting." Mary said. "With your background as a Sheriff and mine as a teacher, our chances of qualifying would be good. With your connections, we might even be able to fast track it if we explain the situation."

"Mary, I don't know..." He rubbed his forehead, something he did when he was unsure of something. "It might not be that easy."

"I know, but I think we need to try." She pleaded. "Just think about it, maybe our conception problems are for a reason. Maybe its because Emma is meant to be our daughter."

"Honey, we don't even know how old she is or if she's adoptable." He gently reminded her. Yes they both felt a connection to the small girl, but they didn't know anything about her.

Mary didn't miss a beat. "I know she's sweet. I know she has been hurt a lot in the past by people; that much is blatantly obvious. I know that what a child her age needs more than anything is love and stability and we are capable of giving her those things, David."

David agreed, though he still didn't want to get her hopes up. "Look, lets sleep on it for now. I'll give social services a call in the morning, see what her situation is and then we will talk to Emma. Deal?"

Mary smiled gratefully at him, kissing his cheek, showing her appreciation. "Lets get some rest, tomorrow is going to be a busy day."

The next morning, Mary stayed home to entertain Emma with movies and more stories from the book. David went to work finding out everything he could about the mysterious little girl. Two hours after first putting a call in to social services, he finally got a call back. Clearly Emma's case wasn't a high priority for them.

 _"Mr. Nolan, this is Chrissy Chase from Social Services of Boston. I'm calling about the little girl you said was in your care at the moment. Emma Swan?"_

"Yes, I called because last night. I found Emma in Storybrooke, Maine living on the streets." David explained. "I'm the Sheriff of Storybrooke and I was just finishing the last of my rounds for the night. I brought Emma home with me where she spent the night with my wife and I. I just want to know what her situation is and why there wasn't a missing person's report on her?"

 _"Mr. Nolan, I'm afraid Emma's situation is a unique one. She's considered a frequent runaway and there's only so much we can do for her."_ Chrissy said.

"So you're saying you let a 7 or 8 year old girl fall through the cracks simply because she tries to get away when a bad situation arises?" David asked angrily.

 _"7 or 8 years old?"_ Chrissy asks sounding surprised. _"Emma's 11."_

"11?" David asked in shock. "She could barely pass for an 8 year old, she's so small and underweight."

 _"I'm aware. As I said, Emma's situation is fairly unique."_

"Just what is so unique about it?" David questioned.

Chrissy sighed into the phone, sounding almost frustrated at this point. _"Emma was first brought to us when she was a newborn. She was found on the side of a highway wrapped in a blanket. A 7 year old boy found her and brought her to the police where they were both placed in the foster system. The boy ran away years ago with a group of other kids and we haven't been able to locate him, but Emma was placed with a family...the Swans. They were on track to adopt her, but shortly after her 3rd birthday, they found out they were expecting and sent her back to us."_

"She was abandoned because they decided they didn't want her anymore in favour of a biological child?" David asked, feeling horrible for the little girl.

 _"More like they couldn't afford her."_ Chrissy said, as if that would somehow make it justified. David wanted to throttle the woman, she sounded so careless about Emma's case. _"Anyhow, Emma was then placed in a series of homes, but never seemed to find one to stay in for long. Many of those times, she ended up in hospital for various injuries. The poor girl just had a string of bad luck. We did our best, honest. She was in group homes as well, but those are almost always temporary. When she was 9, she started running away when things got bad. We've always managed to eventually track her down, unfortunately, most foster parents can't be bothered to deal with a runaway. We really thought this last home was going to be permanent. She's been there for 8 months, the longest she has been anywhere since she was a child, but I guess this didn't work out either."_

"So what happens now?" David asked, already dreading the answer he knew would come. He felt awful for Emma. She had obviously had a rough life to the point where she thought she was better off on her own.

 _"We'll have to find a group home for her until another foster placement can be found. Its always the same cycle with her."_

"So what, she gets placed in another home where she's a meal ticket or a pay cheque to someone who abuses her whenever she acts out?" David asks angrily.

 _"Mr. Nolan, I assure you, most foster parents are good people. Emma just has had horrible luck in that department. We will do our absolute best to find someone decent for her." Chrissy promised._

"Decent isn't good enough. That child deserves the absolute best, especially with what she's gone through." David said, his voice calming slightly. "What if my wife and I took her in?"

 _"Are you a qualified foster parent?"_ Chrissy asked.

"Not yet, but as I said, I'm a Sheriff, my wife is a teacher. I'm sure we would qualify." David said. "We would do whatever it took for her."

 _"You would have to apply, and there would be a home inspection. Plus, based on Emma's age, we would probably get her input."_ Chrissy said.

"We would talk to her about it first." David said. "She's had enough bad dealings with foster parents in the past. She deserves to stay somewhere she's comfortable. She seems to have a special bond with my wife already. She's a little nervous around me still, but I gather that has something to do with her past as you mentioned."

 _"Well, so long as Emma agrees with it, I don't see the harm in you applying. In the mean time, we will have to take Emma back to the group home until you have been approved, but based on what your credentials and character references are like, I may be able to fast track the process."_ Chrissy said happily.

"That would be amazing." David said. "I will talk to my wife and Emma, of course and we will go from there."

 _"Well if she's as comfortable with you as you say, I'm sure everything will work out. The main thing is that Emma finds somewhere she is happy and cared for."_

David agreed. "One more question though. Is she adoptable?"

 _"Well based on the fact that her birth parents were never found and she's had no other family to claim her, I'd say that yes, she is 100% adoptable."_

3 Months Later

Mary Margaret had been devastated to learn of Emma's past and had immediately agreed with David that they needed to do something, starting with applying to become a foster parent. They talked it over with Emma and she was ecstatic to learn that they wanted her. She had begun to trust these people in the 24 hours she had spent under their roof. They had proven that there were good and decent people out there who could care for her. She had even opened up a little to David in the little time she had known him. He wasn't like her other foster fathers. He was genuine.

After weeks of interviews, home inspections and visitations, the day had finally arrived. The day Emma would finally come to live with them permanently. The process had been as speedy as possible given Emma's circumstances and her excitement over getting to live with the couple. There had been a series of homes inspections as Chrissy had said there would be. There were also interviews, both with Emma and the Nolans. It seemed as if the 3 were made for each other. Emma even slightly resembled the couple in a strange way.

David and Mary Margaret stood on the sidewalk as they watched Chrissy's car pull up with little Emma inside. The car had barely come to a stop before Emma threw the door open and bounded over to her new family. She ran straight into David's open arms and was immediately swept up by the man, who hugged her as though his life depended on it.

Chrissy stepped out of the car and smiled at the couple. Clearly, Emma was going to be happy here.

"David, Mary Margaret." She greeted. "Its nice to see you both again."

Mary Margaret reached out and shook the other woman's hand. "Thank you so much for making this process go so smoothly."

Chrissy nodded. "For Emma, it was worth it." She winked at the little girl, who now had hear head bured in David's neck. "I'm just glad she's finally found some place she can belong."

David grinned at that and tickled the little girl's chin. Her giggles made everything worth it.

"Alright, Emma, this is where you and I part." Chrissy said to the girl.

David set Emma down so she could get her bag from her social worker and give the woman a hug goodbye. "Thank you, Chrissy." She mumbled into her sweater.

"You are welcome, sweetie." She patted the girl's back and bent down to her level. "Now, you have my number right? In case you need anything."

Emma nodded and pointed to the pocket on her back pack. Chrissy had a feeling that number would be long forgotten about before long. She smiled and ran a hand through the girl's hair one last time before standing up, shaking hands once again with the couple and saying her goodbyes.

Emma ran straight back to their waiting arms, backpack hanging off her arm. David picked it up as Mary Margaret grabbed the girl's hand, feeling giddy over their new addition. They stepped inside the apartment and Emma took everything in once again. This was going to be her forever home (as they called it in foster care) she just knew it.

"Emma, do you want to see your room?" Mary Margaret asked.

Emma nodded happily as she bounded up the stairs to the loft. She gasped when she saw the room. It looked so different from the last time she was here. The walls were painted a deep purple, that strangely enough looked exactly like the purple colour of her baby blanket. There was now a lavender coloured comforter laying on the bed. There was a bookshelf in one corner and a dresser in another and a small desk directly across from the bed. There were stuffed animals and books every where. This was the most thought anyone had ever put into a room for her.

"I love it!" Emma exclaimed, going back to hug her new parents. "Thank you." She then looked down at the ground. David lifted her chin to see the tears coming out of her eyes.

"What's wrong, Em?" He asked.

"Its just, no one has ever done this for me before, they've never cared to."

Mary Margaret gave her husband a sad look, as she carefully picked the tiny girl up and carried her to the bed. She sat on one side of her with David on the other. Mary Margaret ran her fingers through Emma's curls, soothingly.

"Emma, we want you to know, we want this to be your home for good. We want you to be comfortable here, to feel safe and happy." She explained, looking to David for a little help.

"That's right kiddo." He said with enthusiasm in his voice. "We hope that one day, you'll be able to think of us as your parents, the way we think of you as our child."

"You want to adopt me?" Emma asked curiously. She knew they wanted to live with her, but she had no idea they wanted to adopt her.

"We hope to." Mary Margaret beamed.

Emma's face broke out into the happiest grin they'd ever seen on her. She threw her arms around them both. "I hope so too." She said.

"We love you, Emma." David told her and Mary Margaret nodded adding, "we love you like we would love our own child."

"I love you guys too." She said, shocking the new parents. They never expected that to come out of her mouth so soon. They hugged the tiny girl between them, and each pressed a kiss to her cheeks. All of a sudden a beam of light broke out from the girl's body. It happened so quickly that they almost missed it, but suddenly Mary Margaret and David were hit with an onslaught of memories. Everything from how they met, to having to constantly fight to be together, to their wedding and the birth of their daughter hit them like a ton of bricks. Within seconds, it wasn't just David and Mary Margaret Blanchard who sat there anymore with their foster child. It was Snow White and Prince Charming who sat there with their baby girl. Their real baby girl.

"Emma!" Snow exclaimed crushing the little girl to her. She was so happy to see her beautiful daughter again that she could barely contain it. She kissed her head over and over, so glad she was alright and so grateful that she didn't have to wait 28 years to meet her.

Charming grabbed the girl in his arms as well, grateful to be reunited with the baby he had faught for and loved so long ago it seemed. This was their little Emma, the child they had planned for endlessly, who they had wanted more than anything. They would get the chance to raise her after all. Nothing was going to separate her from them ever again. He would die first and he knew Snow would as well.

Looking over at his wife, he wanted to kiss her more than anything. He could tell it was her the second she laid eyes on their daughter again. She was giving the girl a look that only a mother could give her child. She looked at him and gave him a watery smile as she continued to hold Emma tightly. The child didn't seem to know that anything was different, she was just content to be doted upon.

Charming and Snow had a silent conversation. They knew they couldn't just tell the little girl who they were, it would scare her and she would never trust them again. They knew the best thing they could do was to let things fall into place slowly over time and hopefully in a time not too long from now, they would be able to share their true identities. For now, they were content to just hold her and relish in the fact that the Dark One's prophecy had been wrong.


End file.
